Metro-adjacent lots are getting smaller, and a lot of Goodlettsville backyards cannot absorb a 12×20 without becoming a parking lot with grass around it. You can still get real storage. You just have to buy it in a different shape.
Go narrow and long
The instinct is to buy square. The better move on a small lot is a narrow building run along a fence line. An 8×16 gives you more storage than a 10×12 and takes up dramatically less of the usable yard, because the space along a fence was never usable yard anyway.
Narrow also solves access. Most small-lot problems are gates and side yards, and we need roughly two feet of clearance past the building width along the whole path. An 8 wide building needs about a 10 foot corridor; a 12 wide needs 14. That is frequently the entire decision.
Buy volume, not floor
On a small lot, the cheapest square footage is overhead. A lofted style gives you a large amount of seasonal storage without adding a single square foot to the footprint, and the price difference over a plain gable is modest. Put the light bulky things up top: holiday decorations, camping gear, empty totes, seasonal clothes.
Inside, run shelving all the way up on the gable end walls and keep the long walls for tall items. Twelve inch shelves at eye level and above so you can see everything, deeper shelves down low.
Doors matter more when space is tight
With no room to maneuver outside, how you get things in and out is critical. Doors on the long side make it easy to roll a mower straight in without a three-point turn in a narrow yard. Order a longer, gentler ramp than the default; on a small lot you do not have room for a long approach, so the ramp angle is doing the work.
Placement and the rules
Goodlettsville has accessory structure setbacks and a lot of neighborhoods here have covenants restricting size, siding, roof material and placement. Check both before you order. Setbacks in particular will often decide your maximum size for you, so start there rather than falling in love with a building first.
Put it in a back corner, aligned with the fence rather than at an angle, and it will read as much smaller than it is from the patio.
Make it look intentional
On a small lot the building is always in the frame, so it needs to look like it belongs. Match the roof to your house shingles, match the trim color exactly, and add shutters, flower boxes or transom windows. Our Garden Shed and Victorian styles suit small visible yards better than a plain utility box. Try combinations in the 3D Shed Builder.
Pad and drainage
Level gravel about a foot larger than the building on all sides. On a small lot, pay attention to where the roof runoff goes, because a building close to a fence and a patio can redirect a surprising amount of water somewhere you do not want it.
Cost and terms
We build from 6×8 to 16×60. Pricing starts at $1,900 for a C+ Utility 6×8 and $2,762 for a Cardinal Utility 8×8. Rent-to-own has no credit check, 24 to 60 months, from $75.44 a month, first two months as the deposit, no early payoff fee. Every building carries our 10 year guarantee covering storm damage, settling and craftsmanship, plus a 50 year LP SmartSide siding warranty and a lifetime AdvanTech floor warranty, handled by us.
Get Started on Your Goodlettsville Building
You do not have to drive to a lot to get moving. Use our 3D Shed Builder to pick your size, siding, colors, doors, windows and add-ons and see the building take shape on screen. When it looks right, send it to us and we will confirm pricing and a delivery date for Goodlettsville.
Prefer to talk it through? Call our main office at 618-518-5578. We will walk you through building styles, custom options and rent-to-own and financing, and answer anything on our FAQ page. You can also see what we serve nearby on our location page.
